War & Fidelity
by wandertogondor
Summary: It had been years since Elena and Lucia had seen each other, but when they are reunited, one girl is running from those who wish to kill her while the other is questioning her marriage as they embark with Esca and Marcus to find the Eagle. Follows the journey of two life long friends, Elena and Lucia, who both deal with life changing situations. Co-written by TheExperimenter10.
1. Chapter 1

**This was written by both me and my good friend TheExperimenter10! It's a collaboration of two of our OFCs, Elena and Lucia. Unfortunately, I took the story down for Lucia but if you want to read more about Elena, just go to The Experimenter10's site.**

**Please leave a review and tell us what you think :)**

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The evening breeze was light and warm against Elena's skin, as she sat outside the villa, paint brush in hand, with the garden set out before her. She tilted her head slightly as she dabbed more paint onto the canvas, taking in a long deep breath of the sweet smelling air. It was a warm, sweet, summer air. The kind of air that made one able to be calm and relaxed and not have to worry about the troubles of the world. That was how the air made Elena feel at that moment.

As she breathed in once more, she found the scent reminded her of the summers she spent many years ago with her greatest friend and partner in crime, Lucia. A grin came across Elena's face as she remembered Lucia, and all her playful and slightly dangerous ways. She was always fond of the girl, despite their differences. Elena found that she could not have asked for a greater friend at such a young age.

Though it had been years since Elena had set eyes on her friend, she always remembered the girl and days they fondly spent together. There were hardly any bad memories of Lucia, except those when Marcus would taunt and tease her for being friends with a foreign girl from Spain. Even then, Elena ignored her brother and went on with her carefree life with Lucia. But now, that life seemed only to consist of her memories with the Spanish girl.

_"He's pretty." Lucia giggled, as a young man walked by the pair of girls, who sat in the grass under the shade of a tall tree at the far edges of the densely packed marketplace. Elena's eyes followed the man, and she could not deny that he was attractive, but the young girl, only of fourteen years, knew she would never be able to have him. "Sure, but...maybe he's not my kind of man." she stated, fingers digging into the ground out of anger at her Uncle for marrying her off._

_She had not wanted the marriage to Crateros Marcellus. It was all her Uncle's idea to join their family with his. Crateros was a powerful man, with a powerful name and family, and the second he had informed Elena's Uncle that he had an interest in her, it was only a matter of minutes before she was called over to her Uncle and was told of the arrangement._

_Elena did not speak, she did not throw a fit, instead she simply nodded and accepted her fate. Although Crateros was a soldier, and powerful man, he was not unkind, and Elena liked that about him. And he was also not entirely ugly. He was tall with lightly tanned skin and dark hair. And his brown eyes were always full of meaning and objective. However, the only thing that made Elena cringe inwardly was the burn that covered a part of his neck._

_"What do you mean, he's not exactly your kind of man." Lucia replied, glancing over at the small brunette beside her. "You don't have to marry him. Men like him are just nice to look at."_

_Elena glanced at Lucia and shrugged. She had not told her of the marriage yet, but knew she would have to eventually. "He's all right." she murmured softly, looking down at her now dust covered hands. "Lucia, I have to-"_

_Lucia twisted her entire body to look at her friend more clearly, lines of worry creasing against her forehead. "Elena, what? What's wrong? Did someone hurt you?"_

_"My Uncle," She stammered unsurely, her bright green eyes thrown back down to ground. "...I...I mean...I've been forced into an arranged marriage with Crateros Marcellus."_

_The black haired girl's face recoiled in surprise. "Crateros Marcellus? Isn't he the soldier with the burn mark on his neck? He's too old for you! Whyever would your Uncle promise you to him!?"_

_"To join our families. He's a powerful man, with many powerful friends including, I'm sure, the Emperor himself." Elena replied, looking back at Lucia, eyes filled with tears, but she wiped them away before they could fall._

_The ten year old hated crying in front of Lucia. Lucia was brave and courageous, and crying in front of her made Elena feel weak compared to her, so she hid her tears and hardly ever cried._

"My Lady!" a voice called, causing Elena to be snapped out of her reverie. She turned her head in the direction that the voice was coming from, and saw a figure running towards her. She had to squint slightly against the evening sun which was shining far too brightly in her eyes. When the servant stopped in front of her he gave a low bow, and Elena nodded to him giving him permission to speak.

"My lady," he gasped, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "It's your brother, Marcus. He's coming up this way."

The news was shocking to her ears, and caused the seventeen year old to stand up suddenly, before she bolted past the servant, dropping her painting supplies as she went.

Marcus. She had not heard from Marcus in the longest time. There was hardly ever any news regarding him and so to hear that he was here, at her Uncle's villa nonetheless, was very surprising. She was happy of course, to know that he was alive, but she knew that based on where he was posted, there was no guarantee he'd be out in one piece.

As she sped down the dirt path, leading towards the front of the villa, she ran right past her uncle and down towards the cart that her brother was being pulled in. There was another figure by the cart, one that Elena did not recognize until she was in close proximity. "Lucia?" she asked hesitantly, eyes widening as she realized who it was accompanying her brother.

Elena stared at the black haired girl in complete surprise, and almost couldn't walk properly as she ran towards the girl and wrapped her arms around her. "I cannot believe that you are here. It is the will of the gods." she said, holding her friend so tightly she worried she might hurt her.

"Go to your brother," Lucia spoke in a low, ragged voice, stepping out of Elena's embrace. "he needs you more than I do."

Elena nodded thankfully and hurried after the servants who bustled about the villa. When she walked into the room with years of unshed tears threatening to cascade out of her eyes, she saw her once robust brother, now pale and near to death, laying on the cot in fresh clothes. His armor was gathered in a stinking pile in one corner of the room, waiting to be washed. A man servant sat beside the bed, painstakingly cleaning out the large gash in Marcus' leg.

He was wounded, and badly, so the servants told her, and that was enough for her to worry about him, more than anything else for the time being. She glanced at her Uncle and Lucia who had come in silently and stood in the corner of the room, seemingly giving her space and time to watch over her older brother. And Elena was grateful, but with them in the room, it made it even more difficult for her to cry freely.

Even after all these years she was still afraid of crying in front of Lucia, not to mention front of her Uncle too. The young girl had become accustomed to holding back her tears having had many years of practice, and found it easier to hold it back than it was years previously. However, at this very moment, with the worries and fears she held, it was far more difficult, not to cry than it was at any other point in time in her life.

When the servants had finished tending to her unconscious brother, and left the room, Elena slowly moved towards the bed and sat precariously on the edge of it, gently taking her brothers' hand in her own. His hands were rough and calloused from the years of fighting and training, but she felt a small comfort in holding them in hers. It reminded her of when they were children. Whenever she was sad, or afraid, Marcus would take his sister's hand in his and tell her everything would be all right, even there was a slim chance, and that was exactly what Elena did now.

Moving her free hand over his head, she brushed some hair out of his face and stared down at him. "Everything will be all right, brother. I promise." she whispered, a few tears escaping her eyes and falling quietly down her pale cheeks. This time, however, she did not fight them, did not wipe them away because for once in the longest time she felt no shame in crying.

Aquilla studied the black-haired girl with avid eyes from where he stood towards one side of the bed. She wasn't Roman, any fool could see that, but at the same time, she carried herself like any Roman citizen would. Her face was flushed of any color and her chocolate brown eyes were dull, almost lifeless

He couldn't discern what horrible things she had seen during her lifetime, but Aquilla knew that she had seen it...whatever it was. With a flick of his hand, he motioned the girl to follow him out into the hallway, leaving Elena to have a few moments alone with her older brother.

"My lord," Lucia managed to bow formally despite the weakness and exhaustion which cobbled through her body once the door to the room had been gently shut. "I am Lucia,"

"Just Lucia?" The aged man questioned with a quizzical smile.

"Just Lucia, my lord," she confirmed quietly; she shifted where she stood, clearly feeling out of place since she was still caked with dirt and mud from her travels.

"Don't you have a title? I don't know much about you but you resemble a girl I once met in Rome. The daughter of a Senator, I believe."

Lucia breathed in sharply, obviously distraught by the sudden memory of her father and unsure if Aquilla would accept her under his roof if she were to tell him of her true identity. "Yes, I am the daughter of Senator Gracchus. But please do not forget, if you know the Senator, that my father was...is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions."

A spark erupted in the man's face then disappeared as fast as it came. "You would do well, young child," he began softly. "to refrain from drawing attention to yourself by mentioning that you are a kin to the man who defied Rome."

"He did for all the right reasons," Lucia justified, squaring her shoulders, her chin raised, unashamed.

Aquilla raised a single finger up to his lips, indicating for the young Spanish girl to keep her voice to the bare minimum. "We are all friends here, child. I, too, support the freedom of Rome in all of her might. But there are many who resist. If Gracchus taught you right, you would know to not make daring statements at all...even to allies."

Lucia nodded with understanding before peeking through the crack in the door to see how Elena was. The young girl was still sitting loyally by her brother, staring anxiously at his chiseled face. He's built like Adonis, she thought. He will be healthy yet.

"How did he receive his wound?" Aquilla asked, following Lucia's eyes.

She looked up, answering with a slightly aggressive undertone. "He fought bravely...to free the squadron that he was responsible for who were held captive and almost executed by the Seal people. I have never seen such might in all of Rome."

Just then the door to the room opened and Elena entered the hallway, her eyes were red from crying but her stance was filled with pride. She let out a deep breath, looking between her Uncle and Lucia.

"They are cleaning his wounds. He will fight. He will fight and he will come back to us." Elena then glanced once more at her Uncle, and back to Lucia. "Walk with me?" she asked, offering her a hand. "If you would excuse us Uncle." she added afterwards, inclining her head towards him just as they disappeared down another hall.


	2. Chapter 2

**The BOLD is when the character's are speaking in Gaelic and the BOLD and _ITALIZED_ is when Lucia is speaking in Latin. TheExperimenter10 and I hope you love this chapter! We most certainly enjoying writing it :) please leave a review letting us know how you like it. **

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_"My Queen," Lucia bowed before the throne in the court, her sword pointed downward in reverence. "I am at your service."_

_"It has seemed that you are as famous as your father, young Lucia." The Empress Lucilla spoke ardently, looking down upon the black haired woman from her throne. Her son stood beside her, his eyes fixated on Lucia as well with a passionate resolution. "There is need of your assistance in Britannia. You will be sent there immediately."_

_"It will be as you wish," Lucia kept her wide eyes glued to the ground, shocked by the order given._

_She heard the footfalls of the Empress as she stepped down from her throne and down to where the young girl knelt. "Rise. You have your father's face, child. As well as his strong heart. Never let anyone steal it."_

Lucia's heart ached as she took one quick glance at Marcus's still figure on the bed. Her body was tight with caked layers of dirt and sweat and blood. She was surprised that Elena didn't recoil at the very sight of her disheveled appearance, let alone stench. But the graceful woman who glided beside Lucia's staggered pace, smiled warmly and held fast to her friend's hand.

"Thank you for coming with him," Elena said clearly; her voice was sweet and smooth and rolled off of her tongue like honey. "You must be tired."

Lucia parted her lips to reply but couldn't manage to get her words past her parched throat. Every step she set forth made her exhausted bones scream in pain. "I am tired, Elena. But you look well. That alone gives me strength." Elena smiled gently and guided her friend down the hall into the room where she would stay, and ordered the maids to start a bath for her.

"I will let you clean yourself up, and have some time to yourself to rest. When you are finished, we may speak. I want you to rest first." she said, gently taking her friend's hand and smiling up at her, eyes filled with kindness, and a hint of concern, before she left.

After Lucia had managed to clean to the grime, her sun-kissed skin was red and slightly flushed as she slipped the silk stola, which was set out for her, over her head. The fabric was so lightweight that Lucia felt almost bare, having been clad in heavy leather for the months after she left Rome.

She peered down both ends of the hallway before stepping barefoot out the door. A cold breeze came through the open windows, making Lucia shiver as she stealthily ran to Elena's chambers. Her friend sat beside the window, her gaze thrown over the beautiful sunset which disappeared below the horizon.

"How is Marcus?" Lucia asked, shutting the door behind her and wrapping her arms around her torso hoping it would hide the cuts and blotches of black and purple bruises on her body.

Elena smiled sadly, peering away from the window at toward where the black-haired girl stood shivering. "The physician says that the wound will take a long time to heal." she replied solemnly, still feeling rather shaken up about all that had just been thrown on her in a matter of an hour.

"But he will live..." she said, her voice rather quiet, as though she were talking to herself. "He has to." Sighing, Elena stared for a moment at Lucia, observing her in the stola that she had put on. It was always an odd thing for her to see her friend in Roman clothes, and very pretty ones at that. It wasn't that she did not look beautiful, because she did, but she often pictured her in her battle uniform, much like the one she had arrived in.

However, as lovely as Lucia looked, and as much as she tried to hide it, Elena could still see the bruises that covered the Spanish woman's body. She said nothing, and averted her eyes so that Lucia would not see her looking. Instead she glanced down at the crumpled letter in her hands and gripped it tighter. It was a letter from her husband, Crateros; letter explaining that the war had been won and the soldiers were heading home...including himself.

It was not that she didn't want him to return, she just felt she was not ready to see him again. Not now. Standing quickly, not wanting dwell too much on the matter, Elena walked to Lucia and took her hands in her own. "He will be okay, right?" she asked, searching for that reassurance that she could only get from her closest friend.

Lucia's tanned face fell despite trying to talk herself into being a comfort in Elena's time of reassurance. A short sigh fluttered out of her mouth, and Lucia put on a brave face which she was so accustomed to doing. "Don't fret, Elena. It isn't his time."

"How can you be so sure?" The slender woman earnestly looked up at her friend, immersed in the need for a sense of security and resolution.

"Your brother is strong, Lena," The corners of Lucia's mouth curved upward when the nickname escaped her mouth spontaneously; she took Elena's warm hand between her cold fingers, pulling back slightly in hesitation. But her words pressed on. "He has been through far worse. The gods will not take him from you...or me." Her eyebrows furrowed in a steady curve as she finished the sentence.

Inquiry rose in Elena's mind for a brief moment but as quick as it came, it left. She stepped back from her friend and indifferently wandered back to the window. "It has been a long day, my dear Lucia, you should rest."

Lucia nodded understandingly, sensing the restriction in the other woman's body language. "I will take my leave. Please promise me that you will rest."

"I will," Elena promised with a slow smile. "I will if you will."

The black haired girl started back for the door, a wide grin on her face even as she fought exhaustion. "I will try. It will be a hard transition from sleepless nights in fear for your life to a secure household."

She opened the door and, with a final nod, stepped out into the hallway. Elena was worried about something, it wasn't all about Marcus' well being. It was something else. Lucia was bent on figuring out what but she decided to put it off until tomorrow when both of them would be rested. Now, her mind was fixated on her horse, Hades, whom she had not seen for hours.

With quiet steps, she made her way down to the dark kitchen area, past the sleeping workers, and out the servants entrance toward the stables.

**"Oh, my darling,"** Lucia unknowingly switched to the language of the Celts as she stood at the gate where Hades happily leaned his head down, insisting for her to stroke his nose. **"Well, clearly,"** she laughed warmly. **"you have missed me."** She began speaking to her large war horse in the language of her father; the language of Spain. **"_We will be in Rome soon, Hades. Hopefully then both of us can go back to our rightful home._"**

**"Do you understand what I am saying?"** A voice asked from the shadows, making Lucia spin on her heels to see a blonde man standing near another horse stall.

She nodded.

An inquisitive look crossed his face as he folded his arms against his chest. **"You are the Spanish woman who came with Marcus Aquilla. How can you know the language of my people?"**

**"My father," **Lucia slowly said. **"taught me to learn the way of the enemy. Through that mutual knowledge, victory will be in my favor."**

The man scoffed contemptuously. **"Your father was Roman."**

**"My true father was a Spaniard."**

**"You still have Roman in you. I can tell from your face that you are not all Spaniard."**

**"If your Master heard you speaking to me like that he would have you killed,"** she stated, not in the least bit shaken by his hatefilled word. **"but I believe that any man, whether slave or free, has the right of thought and opinion. Unfortunately, soldiers are not allowed either."**

**"You're not like the others."**

**"I am not Roman,"** was Lucia's quiet reply. **"My name is Lucia, daughter of the family Meridius."**

**"I am Esca, my lady,"**

**"I am hardly a lady, Esca."** She smirked, kissing Hades' nose and patting his neck.** "Do not embarrass the both of us with flattery."**

He nodded, realizing that she was a tormented soul in her own right. She had seen things that he could never imagine a woman such as her to see. Her eyes clearly showed that she was fighting an inward battle with her own demons, whether she was aware of the internal battle or not.

Lucia stroked Hades' velvety nose once more before casting her glance up to the open windows looking out over the stables. The light from a small candle warmly illuminated the large figure of a man whose face was darkened away from the light. Her heart missed a beat when she recognized the muscular arm which he used to brace himself with as he faltered on his still wounded legs.

His name formed on her lips, escaping in a half-relieved and half-worried breath as she sprinted from the shadowy stables to be by her lover's side.


	3. Chapter 3

**Again, leave us a review :) much love, TheExperimenter10 and wandertogondor**

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Elena stared out across the gardens that could be seen from her room, and breathed in the cool air that surrounded her as she stood just inside, leaning against the wall. The darkness had enveloped the scenery, but the moon was bright and full, and cast a silvery glow over everything, and Elena couldn't help but admire it. There was always something about her Uncle's villa that she loved whenever she came down, and it felt like a second home to her.

The home she and her husband lived in, was a few days ride from here, and was the one place Elena did not like. It was beautiful, sure, but she had been forced to stay there with Crateros since she was ten years old. Far too young for a girl to be pulled away from her family to stay with an older man she barely knew. Since then, that place had been hell for her. She was homesick for the longest time and though Crateros was a kind man, and helped her through it, he was only with her for six months before he too had leave her and go off to war.

Elena had been alone for nearly five years before he returned, dressed in military clothing, and looking fiercer than ever. But even then, she felt distanced from him, she knew next to nothing about him and she knew next to nothing on how to be a good wife to him. Her hand maidens had told her everything she needed to know on being a wife and a mother, but not every man was the same with his wife.

Crateros was a good man, to her at least, and she knew deep down, that underneath the hard shell that belonged to the soldier, he was a kind hearted and loving man that would easily forgive her for the mistakes she made along the way. But even so, she hated being married to a man who she didn't know and was hardly ever there for her. The last she saw of him, was when she was fifteen, and he had returned home, in the belief that the war had been won.

On that night when he returned, he took her to bed with him, and made love to her for the first time. Elena would be foolish to deny that she loved it, the way his body felt against hers and the way he moved inside of her. But after that night he was called back to fight again, and Elena had not seen him since. After receiving the letter from him, saying that he was on his way, she felt scared, not for the first time in her life, but still scared.

She was not entirely sure she wanted him to come back. The letter had come unexpectedly and when she had received it, Elena had been almost close to tears. The Roman girl held the crumpled up letter in her hand still, and stared down at it, her face expressionless. In truth she didn't know what to feel about her husband's return. She was happy, but she wasn't at the same time and she wasn't sure what to make of that.

Sighing deeply, she crumpled the letter back into a ball and tossed it across the floor, watching as it rolled around stopping near her bed. "I didn't realize how literally you tossed my love around." a deep voice said. Elena's breath hitched slightly out of surprise when she recognized who the voice belonged to, and closed her eyes tightly.

Trying to keep her breathing steady, she slowly turned around and opened her eyes to see Crateros Marcellus, standing at the end of the bed, hand gripped tightly around the sword at his hip. Her green eyes took him in and she couldn't help but think about how handsome he looked, with his dark hair, loving brown eyes that could barely be seen in the dark, and his tall demeanour. "Crateros." was all Elena managed to say after a few long minutes of the two staring at each other.

"Elena." Crateros replied with a small smile and bow of his head. "You look surprised. Why?" he asked, taking a step towards her, causing Elena to step back subconsciously.

"Because...well to be truthful with you, I had not expected you to come here." she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Had not expected, or had hoped I wouldn't be here?" her husband countered, eyes filled with amusement.

The small brunette stood and stared at her husband, lost for words. She could see the amusement, but saw right past it to the little bit of hurt in his deep brown eyes. Of course she had not meant to hurt his feelings, it was never her intent, but what could she say now that he obviously knew the truth about her feelings about him being back? "Don't you fear, I'm not angry. I understand why you'd feel that way."

This took her by surprise.

"Do you?"

"In some ways, yes." he replied, hands fidgeting with some of the straps and belts that held his armour in place. Seeing that he was struggling, Elena almost instantly stepped forward and began to help him out of it. "Thank you." Crateros said quietly as Elena helped him out of the final piece. He watched her as she silently walked across the room to a cabinet, beside which she placed his armour.

Elena's arms ached slightly as she carried it over and put it on the floor, it was heavy, there was no doubt about it, and she often wondered how Crateros, or any soldier could wear it all day long. Straightening herself out, she dusted off her nightgown and jumped slightly when she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders.

"Come to bed with me." he whispered softly in her ear, and Elena followed. The next thing she knew she found herself, laying on his bed with him on top of her, his strong body pressed against her own. Elena's body started to respond to his as he started to push into her. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and kissed him roughly in the heat of the moment.

"Elena..." Crateros moaned, as they parted lips for a brief moment, the soldier moving faster and faster inside of his wife. Elena could not help the sense of pleasure she felt, in fact she welcomed it after many years of no contact with her husband, yet she felt there was something missing.

Elena stared through the darkness at the ceiling that loomed above her, and rubbed her eyes before turning her head to look at her sleeping husband. He looked so at peace, yet his furrowed brows made Elena think that he was having some sort of bad dream. About what, she didn't know, she would could only guess that it was about the war. Sighing deeply, she turned her attention back to the ceiling. The seventeen year old was not tired, she was far from it. If anything she was more awake than she had been all day, despite all of the dramatic events that had happened to her throughout.

She still worried about her brother, even though she knew he would live, and she now had to begin worrying about Crateros, and the things she'd have to do now as a wife. Sitting up, Elena gripped the edge of the mattress and shook her head. Why was she worrying? There was nothing to worry about...except...well except for the fact that she really did not care all that much about Crateros. Of course she loved him, but perhaps, now that she thought of it, more as a brother, or a friend, than a husband.

Though this was the way things were, what with young girls being married off to someone they hardly knew, she didn't care. She wanted to marry for love, that was all she'd ever dreamed of. Marriage and children, and a nice home somewhere she could feel safe. She knew Crateros loved her, and she knew that he deserved someone better than her for the things she was thinking at that moment.

'Gods,' she thought to herself. Placing her feet on the cold floor, she stood, and walked to the window, well aware of the fact that she was naked, but not caring. No one would see her, unless Crateros woke, but even then, he'd seen her without clothes on more than one occasion. As she stared out of the window as she had earlier, she began to really think about the fact that despite the pleasure that her husband gave her, it was not passionate.

However, there was little she could do. She was married and would have to spend the rest of her life with Crateros. Even if she found someone she really cared about and loved, she would still be stuck with him, not her lover.

Her eyes glazed over the gardens, the forest and finally her eyes rested on two figures that stood by the stables. One quickly ran off in another direction, and the other...the other turned around and seemed to face her, or at least be facing her general direction. Realising it was Marcus's new slave, she gasped and rushed to close the doors. Once darkness fell upon her again, she felt herself blush.


	4. Chapter 4

**The _italicized _paragraphs are flashbacks :) thank you for reading!**

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Marcus stumbled into a chair, extending his wounded leg in hopes of alleviating the pulsating pain. The warm night air was a pleasant change from the blistering cold. Tears of frustration threatened to seep from the corner of his eyes as he squirmed down in his seat, trying to avoid the urge to rip the cloth from his leg. Just then the door creaked open and the small figure of a woman entered the room.

"Lucia?" He sat upright, blinking to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him. Lucia glided from the darkness, going on her knees beside his chair to look into his face then glanced down at the blood stained cloth.

"Don't, please," Marcus pleaded gently as she reached for the knot holding his wound secured.

"Trust me, my love." Lucia whispered, suddenly refusing to meet his eyes as she carefully unwrapped the bandage to analyze the skin. Without a word she reached for the leather cask of wine which was on the bedside table beside them and liberally poured an amount onto the open cut. A sharp hiss escaped between Marcus' teeth as his whole body tensed at the pain. Lucia continued working rapidly, leaving for a moment to find a jar of honey in the kitchen and returning to spread it over Marcus' wound with her fingers before re-wrapping the gash with clean material. She wiped the honey off of her fingers, and glanced around the room as if she was deeply troubled.

"Marcus," she finally spoke in little more than a whisper, looking into the Commander's face—tears welling into her eyes.

"Yes?"

"The Caesar, Lucius, has requested my hand in marriage. The Senator said yes. But I don't want him." The black haired woman leaned closer to his body, begging him to say something—anything—that would suppress the pain her heart couldn't stand enduring. "Marcus, I don't want him."

"He is the ruler of all of Rome, Lucia." Marcus began logically, feeling a aching pressure welling in his own chest. "You will have a good life."

She recoiled slightly, unsure if what she heard was what he really said. "No, please, don't say that."

"Nothing can be done, Lucia. You know that."

"Won't you fight?" A single tear ran down her flushed cheek.

"He will give you everything that you've ever wanted, everything that I will not be able to give you."

"Yes, he'll give me everything." Lucia bitterly scoffed. "Everything but you."

Marcus reached down to place his hand on her hot cheek, brushing the tears away with his thumb. "I never wanted to see them take you away from me."

_The fort was located in the middle of a small field, sheep grazed in the tall grass. The men were weary from the long ride but Lucia's heart pumped faster as they approached. The group accompanying her stopped at the mouth of the fort while she rode in to the closest building before jumping down and handing Hades' reins to a foot soldier who stood ready to greet her. Lucia then walked into the officer's housing. The men sat at a table having more than their share of bread and cheese. Their laughter and conversations stopped abruptly at the sight of her. The Spanish woman stared back, head high and ready for battle._

_"I seek your Commander." She calmly requested, pleased when a young man, slightly older than herself, stood up from the head of the table and came forward._

_"I am Commander Aquila." He said and took the orders which she handed him. While their Commander bent his head to read, the men didn't hesitate to jeer at the woman Suddenly, the young man looked up._

_"You are the General's daughter?"_

_The room was silent once again. Lucia nodded._

_"You still a virgin girl?" A man muttered under his breath with a smirk._

_"Agrippa!" The Commander looked up and spoke in a surprised tone._

_"No," was Lucia's matter-of-fact reply paired with her serious face surprised the men._

_"Welcome to Britannia, my lady." Marcus Aquila said with a shadow of a smile on his mouth. "Galius, will be more than obliging to see that you are put in comfortable housing." An older officer came forward with a polite nod and led the Spanish woman out toward her small quarters._

_"If the girl is anything like her father, then the emperor will be on our asses soon enough." Agrippa smirked once she was out of earshot._

_"Why do you say that?" Marcus inquired as he walked back to his seat, half his mind concentrated on his thoughts while the other half listened intently to what Agrippa had to say._

_"Have you not heard the stories, sir? The daughter of Maximus Decimus Meridius is said to be an enchantress. She lures young men with her beauty then forces upon them the fate of her father. She burns and crucifies the victims' families, as her mother and brother were."_

_The commander snorted in disbelief, dismissing the radical allegation._

_"Try and find out, sir."_

_Marcus questioned once more. "Why must she be branded for the sins of her father?"_

_"The general had no sins, Commander. He was good man…a good soldier."_

_"Then I doubt she will dishonor her family."_

_"She is a danger to the whole of us. She must not be trusted." Agrippa continued._

_"She has the trust of the empress."_

_"Ah!" Another man coughed. "The empress was said to be a lover with the General many years ago before she married Lucius Verus. Why would she not raise his child up to greatness?" They discussed this among themselves for quite a while before Marcus was so disgusted by their remarks that he walked out into the cold breeze. It unsettled him that the empress had sent a woman to do a man's work, but he was assured that whatever the motives were behind Lucia's appearance that it was done all in good standing._

_Just as he braced himself against the cold, he spotted Lucia walking briskly out of the stables, her sleeves pushed up to her elbows. It surprised him to see her approach me, her face stern and glowing with the vigor of pride and expectations._

_"Your fort, Commander," She snapped. "is in a poor state of repair. If you are anything like your father then I would recommend that you order your men to start reinforcing the outer walls. The wooden beams are worn and cracked. The dikes must be sharpened and covered in pitch. The Seal people will not be reluctant to attack you when you are so weakly supported by these barricades."_

_"I assure you, Lady Lucia, that I have, indeed, ordered the men to start working on the dikes, as well as setting an extra set of support for the inner walls."_

_Lucia sniffed and climbed up the wooden ladder to the watchtower posted in the far right hand corner of the fort. She was followed closely by the Commander, and he watched her inspect the sightings down at the fields and at the tree line in the distance._

_"Do you ever wonder about your father, Commander?" Lucia asked suddenly, turning to him once they were tracks feet away from the enlisted men at the corner posts. "Do you wonder if he would be proud of what you've accomplished?" Her voice was no longer despotic but shy with curiosity._

_"I am what I am because of what he taught me." was his decisive reply, studying her face for any sign of emotion. Lucia nodded briefly before walking another round about the upper level, glancing down at the dikes every now and then._

_"I know you doubt me, Commander. But you and I are destined by the will of the gods to be where we are. That I do not doubt. I assure you that I will cooperate under your command and no matter what you order, no matter how radical and improbable, I will stand right behind you."_

_Marcus was hesitant to believe such bold words but when he looked into her hazel green eyes he saw nothing but sincerity and loyalty. That was the moment when he wanted no other. Only her._

"Please," Lucia begged now, leaning up so that her lips were inches away from his. "please, all you have to do is ask me to stay and I will give up everything. I will give up my reputable family and my name...all for you. All you must do is ask me to stay...here...now." She added the chain of words almost pleadingly.

He fought back through the sludge of temptation and lust and the need to have her under him, hot and swollen. Marcus swallowed the hard lump caught in his throat. "You," he began, slow with deliberation. "know the life in Rome. You will be happy there. You will never have to suffer."

_There was a gentle knock on the door. Glancing past her shoulder from where she sat on the bed, Lucia saw the Commander peering through the slightly ajar door._

_"Is there anything I can do for you, Commander?" She asked quietly as she opened the door wider for him to enter._

_"I have heard many, many things about you,"_

_"If it is answers you seek…" The Spanish woman began, uneasily aware that he was staring at her with his dark blue-gray eyes which made her shiver. "You are in search for something, are you not, Commander? You search for answers. You came here to look for you father." Unconsciously, Lucia reached up and placed her cold hand on his warm face. It was too close to him now but it was where she wanted to be, much to her pleasant surprise. ._

_...You have your father's heart, dear child. Never let anyone steal it..._

_Once she was aware of what she had done, Lucia pulled away smoothing her tunic and throwing a fur pelt over her squared shoulders._

_"I wish you luck, Commander Aquila, through all your future endeavors." Raising her voice to a comfortable level, she continued past him toward the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me—" He caught her arm just as she passed him._

_"Why have you truly come here, Lucia?"_

_"My mother and brother were burned and crucified." She growled, eyes ablaze with passion. "My father was sold into slavery only to die a lowly gladiator. What more have I to live for? I have no one."_

_"You can live for love,"_

_"No, I am afraid that my time to love has come and gone. My heart cannot love again."_

_"If only you'd try—"_

_"And with whom, Commander?" Lucia glared at him, offering logic when he offered words of love. "Which man in all of Rome would accept me for a wife? I am the daughter of the man who went against all of Rome. It would be better to marry a whore. Do not make that which is not your business your own."_

_"If only you'd let me love you."_

The young woman, wide-eyed and overwhelmed with what she thought was betrayal, backed away from where he sat. "You won't fight for me? Is everything I have - everything that I am willing to give - not enough for you?"

"How can I fight when I am so near to immobile?" He cried in reply, crudely motioning to his wound. "What if this wound doesn't heal, Lucia? You will waste your life away caring for me when I should be caring for you. I want you to be with someone who will be able to care for you. Go! Go to Rome and be with the emperor!"

_The candle flickered next to the bed. Marcus quietly stared into his lover's eyes as she held the wooden eagle that hung around his neck._

_"Warm my hands?" Lucia airily asked, losing her breath when he smiled and gently wrapped his fingers around hers. Leaning over, he brushed his lips against her knuckles. Lucia wanted him more than life itself. Nothing seemed worth grasping in her life. Nothing seemed worth holding onto but that moment…the moment she shared with Marcus Aquila had the young woman begging for more love and affection._

_"I wish I could stay with you forever." She confessed in a whisper._

_"And why can't you?" Marcus pulled her small body closer until she felt his warm breath fan across her face as she stroked his jaw with her fingertip._

_"Who would understand?"_

_"No one." was his reply._


End file.
